Stanford University classicist and political scientist Josiah Ober relates how the interests of elites and the general population were intertwined in classical Athens, and how we might be able to harness some of those ancient concepts in...

Classicist Richard Janko (Michigan) speculates that our love of Athenian democracy sometimes prevents us from taking a more objective view of their society.

Classical scholar Richard Janko, University of Michigan, describes his conviction that the famous trial of Socrates in 399 BCE was hardly a unique event in Classical Athens, but rather one in a series of battles between religious...

Stanford University classicist and political scientist Josiah Ober describes his motivation to use Classical Athens as a counterexample to Robert Michels’ theory of “the iron law of oligarchy” of political organisation.

Classicist and political theorist Josiah Ober (Stanford) discusses how ancient Athenian democracy has long struck him as an obviously important counterexample to Robert Michel's so-called "Iron Law of Democracy."

This is a short video about ancient Greek Civilization.

Every country on Earth is run by some form of government – but there are many different kinds, from autocracies and oligarchies to direct and representative democracies.

The Republic with No Borders | The Life & Times of Xenophon

Records of the first Olympic Games date back to Olympia, Greece in 776 B.C. — where a cook won the only event: a 192-meter race. The Roman Empire then conquered Greece in mid-2nd century B.C., and while the games continued every four...

This video will explain the way in which Greece became a direct democracy and the problems that the system created for the Greek people.

In which John discusses The Melian Dialogue, a story of Ancient Greece, the Peloponnesian War, the city-state of Athens, the island of Melos, Thucydides, and 21st century human life.

This video is a summary and analysis of Act 2 of William Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream. This video primarily addresses the theme of Nature in the play. This is the third video in a series about A Midsummer Night's Dream...

Researchers lay the groundwork for high resolution “heat maps” to protect residents and improve city planning A quick check on a smartphone will provide you with the day's expected high temperature, but what if you could find out how hot...

In this episode of Travel Thru History we visit a city in the Southeastern US that you can hear from miles away. It’s rightfully called Music City but you know it as Nashville, Tennessee. We dig deep into the city’s past and find that...

Mythology & Fiction Explained explores the Greek legend of the Amazons

Public spaces are places for democracy. Open to everyone, and a space where people can gather, they could form a type of government where the people have ultimate power.

The ancient theatre at Delphi was built further up the hill from the Temple of Apollo giving spectators a view of the entire sanctuary and the valley below. It was originally built in the 4th century BC but was remodeled on several...

Greece has a long and diverse history of music, and much of the Western Tradition of music can be traced through the Greece Classical Period. 0:00 Introduction 0:32 The Greek Classical Period 3:56 Music Culture in Ancient Greece 6:38...

In ancient Athens, symbols were used to promote religious and democratic ideals and beliefs. Thousands of years later these symbols helped to define the United States.

Are there any examples of Greeks who said they didn't believe? Were there any Greeks who were recognized as being Atheist? Was Greece a less religious culture than Rome? A History of Unbelief, Part 2

How could democratic societies claim to support equality while holding humans in bondage? The legacy of slavery tests the democratic ideal that everyone has an equal right to freedom and self-governance.

Theseus is excitedly preparing to marry Hippolyta. Meanwhile, Hermia and Lysander are upset because Hermia’s father wants her to marry Demetrius instead. To complicate everything, Helena, another young Athenian, has a huge crush on...

The ancient Greek drama was a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece from 700 BC. The city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political, and military power during this period, was its center, where it was...

On today's episode of Kult America we visit Athens, Greece to see what remains of the city's past. I had many romantic ideas of what Greece would offer but in truth it was hard to enjoy as the surplus of tourists was extremely...